It was, once again, hot and sunny as five participants conducted this week's survey. We frequently find our observations of spiders to be among the highlights of the morning. Below are examples of a crab spider's excellent camouflage, the tiny drama between a jumping spider and an ant, and a tarantula in a surprisingly lofty hiding place. Because a fall of 10 feet or so to the hard pavement would likely be fatal to the spider, we wondered what prompted it to climb up there in the first place. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Carebara longii (ants mating) photo by Val Bugh Scolia dubia (scoliid wasp) photo by Val Bugh Polistes apachus (Apache wasp) photo by Val Bugh Euodynerus crypticus (mason wasp) photo by Val Bugh Melanoplus ponderosus (ponderous grasshopper) photo by Val Bugh Hypselonotus punctiventris (coreid bug) photo by Val Bugh Sphaenothecus bivittata (long-horned beetle) photo by Val Bugh Euphyes vestris (dun skipper) photo by Val Bugh Atalopedes campestris (sachem) photo by Val Bugh Erynnis funeralis (funereal duskywing) photo by Val Bugh Strymon istapa (mallow scrub-hairstreak) photo by Val Bugh Calephelis nemesis (fatal metalmark) photo by Val Bugh Heliothis virescens (tobacco budworm) photo by Val Bugh Dicymolomia julianalis (moth) photo by Val Bugh Cudonigera houstonana (juniper budworm moth) photo by Val Bugh Neoscythris fissirostris (moth, 4 mm long) photo by Val Bugh Eacles imperialis (imperial moth, 4 inches wide!) photo by Val Bugh Mecaphesa sp. (crab spider eating syrphid fly) photo by Val Bugh Pelegrina galathea (peppered jumper eating ant) photo by Val Bugh Aphonopelma sp. (tarantula in the rafters) photo by Harriett Wolf Birds: Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Woodpecker (Melanerpes sp.) Mammals: Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) Misc.: Spider Mite (Unknown sp.) Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary       Dryas iulia   Julia Heliconian       Junonia coenia   Common Buckeye       Asterocampa celtis   Hackberry Emperor       Phyciodes texana   Texan Crescent       Thessalia theona   Theona Checkerspot       Danaus gilippus   Queen    papilionidae   Papilio polyxenes   Black Swallowtail    riodinidae   Calephelis nemesis   Fatal Metalmark    pieridae   Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur       Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange       Eurema lisa   Little Yellow       Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur    lycaenidae   Callophrys gryneus   Juniper Hairstreak       Hemiargus ceraunus   Ceraunus Blue       Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue       Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak       Strymon istapa   Mallow Scrub-hairstreak    hesperiidae   Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper       Erynnis horatius   Horace's Duskywing       Erynnis funeralis   Funereal Duskywing       Systasea pulverulenta   Texas Powdered-skipper       Hylephila phyleus   Fiery Skipper       Lerodea eufala   Eufala Skipper (adult & larva)       Lerema accius   Clouded Skipper       Atalopedes campestris   Sachem       Euphyes vestris   Dun Skipper    noctuidae   Tarache tetragona   Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth       Tarache aprica   Exposed Bird Dropping Moth       Ponometia candefacta   Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth       Plusiodonta compressipalpis   Moonseed Moth       Catabena lineolata   Fine-lined Sallow       Heliothis virescens   Tobacco Budworm (larva)    arctiidae   Pygarctia roseicapitis   Tiger Moth    notodontidae   Schizura errucata   Prominent    saturniidae   Eacles imperialis   Imperial Moth    sphingidae   Manduca quinquemaculata   Five-spotted Hawk Moth       Erinnyis lassauxii   Lassaux's Sphinx    geometridae   Digrammia sp.   Moth       Digrammia atrofasciata   Moth       Scopula umbilicata   Moth       Pimaphera percata   Moth    crambidae   Microtheoris vibicalis   Moth       Euchromius ocelleus   Grass-veneer Moth       Dicymolomia julianalis   Moth       Pyrausta pseuderosnealis   Pyrausta Moth    pyralidae   Alpheioides parvulalis   Moth       Amyelois transitella   Moth       Ephestiodes sp.   Moth       Omphalocera cariosa   Barberry Webworm Moth    tortricidae   Cudonigera houstonana   Juniper Budworm Moth       Suleima helianthana   Sunflower Bud Moth    gelechiidae   Anacampsis fullonella   Moth    glyphidoceridae   Glyphidocera lactiflosella   Five-spotted Glyphidocera    xyloryctidae   Scythris trivinctella   Moth       Neoscythris fissirostris   Moth coleoptera   coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Ladybird       Scymnus sp.   Ladybird beetle       Cycloneda sanguinea   Red Ladybird       Harmonia axyridis   Multi-colored Asian Ladybird       Psyllobora renifer   Ladybird Beetle    cerambycidae   Ataxia hubbardi   Long-horned Beetle       Aneflomorpha tenuis   Long-horned Beetle       Sphaenothecus bivittata   Long-horned Beetle       Liopinus mimeticus   Long-horned Beetle    chrysomelidae   Disonycha leptolineata   Flea Beetle    anthribidae   Trigonorhinus limbatus   Fungus Weevil    buprestidae   Agrilus addendus   Metallic Woodborer    curculionidae   Curculio sp.   Nut Weevil       Gerstaeckeria sp.   Weevil       Anthonomus dicipiens   Weevil       Mitostylus tenuis   Broomweed Broad-nosed Weevil hemiptera   coreidae   Narnia femorata   Cactus Bug (nymph)       Chelinidea vittiger   Opuntia Bug (nymph)       Hypselonotus punctiventris   Coreid Bug    alydidae   Hyalymenus tarsatus   Texas Bow-legged Bug    lygaeidae   Craspeduchus uhleri   Seed Bug       Oncopeltus fasciatus   Large Milkweed Bug       Neortholomus scolopax   Seed Bug    rhopalidae   Harmostes sp.   Scentless Plant Bug    largidae   Largus sp.   Largus Bug    reduviidae   Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug (adult & nymph)       Zelus tetracanthus   Four-spined Assassin Bug       Sinea sp.   Spined Assassin Bug    miridae   Polymerus basalis   Plant Bug    pentatomidae   Thyanta custator   Stink Bug       Mecidea major   Grass Stink Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Cuerna costalis   Leafhopper       Neokolla sp.   Leafhopper (nymph)       Texananus excultus   Leafhopper    cixiidae   Oliarus sp.   Planthopper    acanaloniidae   Acanalonia laticosta   Planthopper    aphididae   Unknown sp.   Aphid       Aphis nerii   Oleander Aphid    dactylopiidae   Dactylopius sp.   Cochineal Insect hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee       Bombus pensylvanicus   American Bumble Bee    megachilidae   Megachile sp.   Leaf-cutter Bee       Stelis sp.   Parasitic Leaf-cutter Bee       Coelioxys sp.   Parasitic Leaf-cutter Bee    halictidae   Halictus ligatus   Sweat Bee       Unknown sp.   Green Sweat Bee    vespidae   Polistes carolina   Red Wasp       Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp       Polistes apachus   Apache Wasp       Vespula squamosa   Southern Yellowjacket       Euodynerus hidalgo   Mason Wasp       Euodynerus crypticus   Mason Wasp    sphecidae   Sphex lucae   Digger Wasp       Prionyx sp.   Thread-waisted Wasp       Sceliphron caementarium   Yellow-and-Black Mud Dauber    pompilidae   Pepsis sp.   Spider Wasp    scoliidae   Scolia dubia   Scoliid Wasp    formicidae   Carebara longii   Ant diptera   culicidae   Aedes albopictus   Asian Tiger Mosquito    bombyliidae   Poecilanthrax lucifer   Bee Fly    syrphidae   Allograpta obliqua   Flower Fly       Ocyptamus fascipennis   Flower Fly    asilidae   Efferia sp.   Robber Fly    tachinidae   Microphthalma sp.   Tachinid Fly odonata   coenagrionidae   Argia immunda   Kiowa Dancer       Argia fumipennis   Variable Dancer    libellulidae   Libellula croceipennis   Neon Skimmer       Pachydiplax longipennis   Blue Dasher       Orthemis ferruginea   Roseate Skimmer orthoptera   acrididae   Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing       Melanoplus flabellatus   Dallas Short-winged Grasshopper       Melanoplus ponderosus   Ponderous Grasshopper    tettigoniidae   Conocephalus strictus   Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid (nymph)       Scudderia furcata   Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)    mogoplistidae   Cycloptilum sp.   Scaly Cricket mantodea   mantidae   Stagmomantis carolina   Carolina Mantis neuroptera   chrysopidae   Chrysopa quadripunctata   Green Lacewing araneae   salticidae   Phidippus audax   Bold Jumper       Pelegrina galathea   Peppered Jumper       Anasaitis canosa   Jumping Spider    araneidae   Araneus sp.   Orbweaver    dictynidae   Unknown sp.   Meshweb Weaver    oecobiidae   Oecobius sp.   Wall Spider    pholcidae   Crossopriza lyoni   Cellar Spider    thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider    theraphosidae   Aphonopelma sp.   Tarantula